Pipe-tongs



C. E. REED.

PIPE TONGS'.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2|. 1918.

i ,3 1 6, 1 85 Patented Sept, 16, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Cflanence lZiReed,

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I U Iii/mentor.-

C. E. REED.

PIPE TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21.1918.

1 ,3 1 6, 1 8'5 Patented Sept. 16, 1919.

2 SHEETS-7SHEET 2.

'lnuenivn' C'lanence R eecl,

r B COLUMBIA PMNOGRAPH c0-. WASHINGTON D c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

f j, I CLARENCE E. REED, 0F HOUSTON, TEXAS.

. PIPE-TONGS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 16, 19191 Applicationfiled June 21, 1918. Serial No. 241,152.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. REED, a citizen of the United States,resident of Houston, Texas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Pipe-Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to pipe tongs or wrenches and is designedmore especially for handling the pipe used in oil wells, though notlimited to such use.

The invention includes the novel features of construction andarrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described andparticularly defined by the appended claims, an embodiment of myinvention being illus trated in the accompanying drawing in which tFigure 1 is a plan view of the tongs.

Fig. 2 is an edge View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View illustrating a modification, and

Fig. 4 is a detail View of a further modification.

Referring to these drawings by reference characters, the numeral 1designates a main jaw which is preferably provided with a curved face 1adapted to conform approximately to the curvature of the pipe upon whichthe tongs are used. This jaw is provided with a suitable handle 2rigidly connected thereto and it is provided at or near its forward endwith a pipe engaging orgripping member or projection a. j 3 designatesthe movable jaw which also has a curved face provided. with a pluralityof pipe gripping or engaging projections, two being shown ,as mypreferred arrangement designated respectively as Z) and 0, these beingspaced apart and located respectively at or near the opposite ends ofthe movable jaw. Link means are provided for connecting the movable orsupplemental jaw 3 to the main jaw 1 and such means preferably takes theform as shown in the drawings of a pair of links 4 which have a curvedportion 45 to enable the edges of the links to be clear of the pipe.These links are pivotally connected to the main jaw by a pivot pin 6 andto the supplemental jaw by a pivot pin 7. These pivot pins are solocated that a line connecting their axes will preferably pass to theoutside of the gripping projection 6, or in other words, will intersect.the periphery of the pipe and furthermore the" axis of the pivot pin 7is preferably located nearer to the gripping projection 0 than it is tothe gripping projection Z). This arrangement of the pivot pins withrespect to the gripping projections is such ,that the pivot of thesmaller jaw is off-centered with relation to the line of pressure of thegripping point of the larger jaw, or in other words, a line drawn fromthe axis of the pivot 7 to the gripping projection a will pass to oneside of the center of a circle including the three gripping points a, cand b, or to one side of the axis of the pipe when in place betweenthese three gripping projections. This insures a quick and sure grip ofthe pipeas the pressure strikes the point I) of the supplemental jawwhen the tongs are pushed against the pipe. When the jaws have thus beencaused to encircle the pipemovement of the handle to the left tightensthe engagement and effects the turning of the pipe. j y In order toeffect the quick release of the pipe I provide the main and movable jawswith parts designed to contact and effect the release of the pipe or theopening of the jaws and this may take the form of a shoulder 1 on themain jaw adaptedto bear against a corresponding part or a shoulder 3 onthe supplemental jaw when the handle is movedto the right.

To prevent any binding of the links on the main jaw I prefer to recessthe sides of the main jaw as indicated at 1 and provide such: recessportions with bosses 1 against which the links are held by the pivotpins 6, thus reducing friction and facilitating the relative movement ofthe links and jaw. The handle 2 may be integral with the main jaw 1 butI prefer to make it detachable and connected to the main jaw by a bolt 8and nut 9 or other suitable securing means so that the same handle maybeused for different sized wrenches or tongs.

As these tongs are of considerable weight and require frequent use Ipreferably provide means for sustaining them from some fixed support andto this end provide the handle with a slip ring 10 to whichis secured aclevis 11 for the connection of a chain or othersupporting device, theslip ring enabling the tongs to be turned over or inverted according asto whether a righthand or left-hand gripping action is desired. In someinstances I find it desirable to provide spring means for assisting thegripping action of the jaws and a convenient arrangement of such springmeans is shown in Fig. 3.

According to this construction a hole 12 is drilled through the main jawapproximately centrally of its two sides, and is counterbored orenlarged for a suitable distance, as indicated at 12". Within theenlarged portion is mounted a compression spring 13, which bears at oneend' against the shoulder formed by the enlargement and at the other endagainst a washer It held in place on the threaded stem of the T-bolt1'5' by'a nut 15. The cross bar 15 or arms of the head of the T-boltengage holes or recesses in the links 4 and thus the spring tends torock said links about the pivot 6, and press the movable jaw toward themain jaw. The action of this spring .will cause the jaws to close with asnap and instantly grip the pipe when applied thereto, The tension ofthe spring may be adjusted by means of the nut, and in actual practicevery slight amount of compression on the spring will be sufiicient tosecure the desired. results.

Instead of using; a spring between the main jaws and links I may use aspring between oneor each of the links and the movable or supplementaljaw, as shown in Fig. 4. Such spring may be in the form of a coil spring.13 having its ends connected to pins located respectively on the linkor links and on the movable jaw, the latter being conveniently located.adjacent the gripping projection b.

It will be obvious that thesprings used mayjibev either compression ortension springs, as desired. It desiredthe. springs may be used in thesame tongs, one between the links and, main jaw and theother be tweenthe links and supplemental ormovable jaw.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is v 1. A pipe tong orwrench. comprising a main jaw, asuitable handle rigidlyconnected'tlieret0,,said main jaw having a concave recess in one sideface thereof, the extremi ties of said. concave recess lying in substantial alinement with said. handle, said concaverecess having a pipeengaging projection at its outerv extremity, a supplemental convex 121Whavmg. a curved face provided'with pipe engaging projections at or nearits extremities, and link means pivotally connecting the supplementaljaw to the main jaw.

2., A pipetongor wrench comprising a main jaw, a. suitable handlerigidly connected thereto, saidmainjaw havinga con- Copiemof this patentmay: be obtained for cave recess in one side tace thereof, theextremities of said concave recess lying in substantial alinement withsaid handle, said concave recess having a pipe engaging projection atits outer extremity, a supplemental curved jaw having a curved laceprovided with pipe engaging projections at or near its extremities, anda link having one end pivotally connected to the main jaw and the otherend pivotally connected to the supplemental jaw intermediate ot the pipeengaging projections thereof.

3. A pipe tongs or wrench comprising a. concave main jaw having a pipeen; ;a.ging projection at or near its outer end, a supplemental concavejaw having a plurality ol pipe engaging projections, a. link pivotallyconnected to the main and snpplenwnlal jaws, said pivots being solocated that a straight line connecting their axes will par-s t0 theOutside of but in proximity to the innermost projection of thesupplemental aw.

l. A pipe tongs or wrench comprising a concave main jaw having a. pipeengaging projection at or near its outer end, a supplemental concave jawhaving a plurality of pipe engaging projections, a linkpivotallyconneetod to the main and supplemental jaws, said pivots beingso lorated that a straight line connecting their axes will pass to theoutside of but in proximity to the innermost projection of thesupplemental aw, and a shoulder on the main jaw arranged to bear on acorresponding part of the supplemental jaw for opening the jaws.

5. A pipe tongs or wrench comprising a main concave jaw having a pipeengaging tooth near its outer end, a suitable handle rigid therewith, asupplemental concave jaw carrying a pair of spaced pipe engagingprojections, a link pivotally connected respectively with the main andsupplemental jaws, the point of pivotal connection with the supplementaljaw being relatively nearer the outer projection of the supplemental jawthan the inner projection.

6.- A pipe tongs comprising a main jaw having a suitable handle, asupplemental jaw, a pair of links connecting said jaws on oppositesides, a T-bolt having its head. pivotally connected to said links, andits shank lying in a passage in the main jaw, a spring encircling saidshank and bearing against a. fixed abutment, and a not on said shank forconfining the spring.

In testimony whereof, I atlix my signature.

CLARENCE E. REED.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. G.

